Vatican Consultor Blasts ‘Homophobic’ Priests, Wants More LGBT Inclusion in Church

The Rev. James Martin blasted “homophobic” pastors at the World Meeting of Families in Dublin, calling for the church to consider LGBT individuals’ lived experiences.

Martin urged the Catholic Church to more openly embrace homosexuals Thursday during a talk entitled “Showing Welcome and Respect in our Parishes for ‘LGBT’ People and their Families” at the conference.

He argued that the church should advocate for homosexuals, include them in parish life, apologize to those the church has harmed, and view them as a part of the body of Christ.

“By excluding LGBT people, you are breaking up God’s family; you are tearing apart the Body of Christ,” Martin said, according to National Catholic Register. “This is part of what it means to be a Christian: standing up for the marginalized, the persecuted, the beaten down. It’s shocking how little the Catholic Church has done this.”

Martin’s comments appeared to be aimed as much at the conference itself as they were at the church, given the fact that the World Meeting of Families barred LGBT groups from participating, pursuant to Catholic teaching on the definitions of marriage and family and God’s design for human sexuality. (Read more from “Vatican Consultor Blasts ‘Homophobic’ Priests, Wants More LGBT Inclusion in Church” HERE)

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